Becoming a parent comes with many firsts and new experiences. Navigating the newness and knowing when something warrants a trip to the doctor can be a big challenge. That’s definitely true with the skin condition molluscum. Avera pediatrician Shari Eich, MD, explains what parents need to know about this bothersome, yet benign, skin issue.
What exactly is molluscum?
Molluscum is a skin infection that's caused by a virus. It's in the pox virus family and it spreads from person to person through skin contact. It's a minor infection of the skin where you get little bumps, often they're pink, maybe flesh color, and usually shiny. The hallmark of molluscum is they often happen with what we call a "belly button" or a little indent right in the center.
Is molluscum an infection that only affects kids?
Anybody can get them, but kids are much more likely just because their immune systems aren't nearly as strong as they are when they get older. Kids who also have things like eczema can get worse cases because your skin is supposed to be a barrier and it's part of your immune system. When you have disruption to the barrier like eczema, the molluscum can get in and cause more spots or more bumps in those eczema areas. Definitely avoid sharing towels and sponges, try not to have your kids bathe together if you know one of them has molluscum. If they're participating in sports or other contact activities, keep the molluscum covered, but they can definitely go swimming and they can still do all their activities.
Other than bumps on the skin, does molluscum cause pain or other symptoms?
It's mostly cosmetic. Occasionally they can be itchy, but most of the time they really don't cause much for problems. They actually rarely are on palms or soles. They're often on extremities, on the trunk, even on the face. But the problem is that kids tend to pick and they tend to not wash their hands well. So if you scratch open one of these bumps, you get the virus on your finger, you touch other places on your body, touch other people, and then you spread them.
How is molluscum treated?
I generally recommend not treating them and leaving them alone. They will clear on their own, but they can last for months, even a year or more. Sometimes we do have to treat them, whether they're causing problems, they're irritating the child, they're spreading quite a bit, or they're just in places that really nobody's happy with. If that's the case, there are a few different things we can do. Often we can treat them much like we do treat warts, and there are some topical creams that you can try as well.
Seeing bumps can be alarming for first-time parents. What advice do you have for them?
I do see that a lot when parents come in for bumps on the skin and most of the time I see it on my schedule, I think, "it’s probably molluscum!" But molluscum is harmless. It is just a few bumps most of the time, and they will go away on their own. When they start to go away on their own, though, they do get red, raised and swollen, and people often think they're getting infected. They call that redness the beginning of the end sign. It's the sign your immune system has recognized there's something there and is fighting it off. Even though you may not like how it looks, it'll be fine.
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